Controller for electric automobiles.



No. 643,865. Patented Feb. 20, won.

0. e. BURROWS.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILES.

(Application filed Nov. 15, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I,

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No. 643,865. Patented Feb. 20, I900. A

' c. a. BURROWS.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILES.

(Application filed Nov. 15, 1899.)

3 Sheets-:Sheel 2.

(No Model.)

afnvnfiin No. 643,865. Patented Feb, 20, I900. C. G. BURHOWS.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILES.

,7 (Application filed Nov. 15, 1899.) 3 Sheets-Sheet UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES G. BURROWS, OF WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE EDDY ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY,- OF SAME PLACE.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,865, dated February 20, 1906. Application filed November 15,1899. Serial No. 737,112. (No model.)

To coZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. BURROWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Windsor, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controllers for Electric Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to controllers that are more particularly designed for regulating the currents from batteries to the motors of electric automobiles.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, and easilyoperated controller so constructed that a very quick make and break are made, without any possibility of stopping the contacts in such positions that arcs will be established and the controller burned out.

The controller which is illustrated as embodying the invention has a handle attached to a pivoted segment which by metallic straps is connected with a pivoted segment that is secured to a yoke, the inner end of which is forked. Between the arms of the fork is a pin which projects from one side of an oscillatory plate that is hung on an arbor extending through one of the end walls of a drum that bears the connecting-contacts. The arbor of the oscillatory plate has a fixed arm and two loose arms, the fixed arm having a pin extending between the two loose arms, which are connected by spiral springs with the drum. Two pins project from the side of the oscillatory plate adjacent to lugs that project inwardly from the outer supportingplate, the pins and lugs being in such relation that they cooperate when the handle is moved to cause the springs to be first made tense and then throw the drum.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of the controller, the handle being broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by the broken line 00 x of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is aview of the inside of one of the supporting-frame plates. Fig. 5 is a View Fig. 6 is a view looking toward the inside of one end of the drum. Fig. 7 is a view looking at the outside of the same end of the drum. Fig. 8 is an edge view of the segments, the yoke, and the drum-supporting shaft. Fig. 9 is a front view of the segments and handle. Fig. 10 is a plan of the circuit terminals held by the supportingframe, and Fig. 11 is a View of the end of the block that holds the stationary terminals.

The supporting frame of the controller illustrated has an end plate 1, with downwardly-extending arms 2, each of which by a bar 3 at its lower end is connected withthe lower end of an arm 4 at the other end of the frame. The arms 4 are joined by a transverse bar 5. The inner edges of the bars 3 are grooved, and held by these grooves is a block 6 of insulating material. Anumber of pairs of contact-ears 7 are held upon this block by binding-posts 8, that are provided with clamping-nuts 9, by which the ends of the circuit-wires may be fastened. Projecting from the inner wall of the end plate 1 are a number of lugs 10.

A shaft 11 extends across the frame and is supported at one end by the plate 1 and at the other end by the bar -5. The ends of the drum 12 are provided with square openings that fit squared portions of this shaft, so that the drum will turn with the shaft. Insulating-strips 13 are fastened in grooves in the periphery of the drum, and by clamping-nuts 14 outwardly-extending blades 15 are secured to these strips. These blades are arranged to be engaged and disengaged as the drum is oscillated on the shaft with the pairs of terminal ears that are held by the frame, and they are joined by wires in the interior of the drum in the correct relations necessary to cut in and out the various desired battery combinations as the several different sets of blades engage the terminal ears. In the form shown the blades are arranged and connected in such manner that the motor may be driven one speed backward or either of three speeds forward; but the bladesmay be arranged and connected in any desired manner, whereby other battery combinations may be had for giving different rates of speed and power.

Loosely mounted upon the shaft 11 is a yoke 16. The end of the yoke outside of the end 'gether; but it is preferred to connect them,

' reverse direction.

plate of the frame is provided with a segment 17, while the end of the yoke inside of the frame-plate has a fork 18. A handle 19 is pivoted to any suitable support, and attached to the lower end of the handle-lever is a segment 20. These segments could be provided with gear-teeth, so that they would work to as shown, by means of flexible bands. A band 21 is fastened to the middle of one end of one of the segments and to the middle of the far end of the other segment, while bands 22 are fastened to the opposite end of the first segment each side of the middle and to the far end of the other segment outside of the middle, so that the oscillation of the handle in one direction through one band will oscillate the yoke oppositely, and the oscillation of the handle 'in the other direction through the other bands will oscillate the yoke in a The oscillatory plate 23 is mounted on an arbor 24, that extends through one end wall of the drum; This plate has a pin 25 projecting from one side between the arms of the fork 18 at the end of the yoke 16, so that the oscillation of the yoke oscillates the plate. The opening between the arms of the fork is wider than the diameter of the pin to allow the latter independent movement. Pins 26 and 27 project from the other side of the plate toward the lugs 10. These pins are arranged so as to engage the side faces 28 of each lug, and the side faces of the lugs are formed on arcs of circles the centers of which are in the arc of revolution of the axis of the oscillatory plate about the axis of the drum an equal distance from the centers of the adjacent lugs.

Fastened on the arbor 24: inside of the end wall of the drum is an arm 29, and loose on the arbor are two arms 30. The ends of the loose arms are connected by springs 31 with the end wall of the drum, and a stud 32 projects from the fixed arm between the loose arms, so that when the fixed arm moves in one direction it is resisted by one arm and spring, and when it moves in the opposite direction it is resisted by the other arm and spring. Movement of the handle is imparted to the yoke by means of the segments and bands, and by the engagement of the fork with the pin the movement is imparted to the oscillatory plate, so that through the fixed arm on the plate arbor one of the springs is stretched. The tension of the spring through the loose and fixed arms tends to draw the arbor and connected plate to normal positions. The plate, however, cannot return to that position on account of the engagement of one of the pins projecting from it with the edge of one of the lugs projecting from the fixed frame-plate until the plate has been so oscillated that the pin passes the inner point of the lug and is free to move upwardly on the other side of the lug. The pin in moving upwardly engaging the edge of the fixed lug is l forced forward. The forcing forward of the pin drives the plate forward and gives a r0- tary movement to the drum, so as to change the positions of the connecting-blades. As the slot in the fork is wider than the diameter of the pin projecting from the plate into the fork, this movement may be accomplished suddenly by the spring. One pin acts successively on the same side of each lug when the handle is moved in one direction, and the other pin acts successively on the other side of each lug when the handle is moved in the opposite direction. The drum can be advanced step by step in either direction by the springs pulling upon the plates within the limit of cooperation of the pins and lugs. The drum is thrown by springs made tense by the movement of the handle in such manner that the contacts cannot be stopped until a full make or break movement has been caused, thereby obviating all liability of burning out the controller, and the jump from one set of contact-blades to another is so sudden that there is no chance for the motor to lose power and allow a slowing of the vehicle when the amount and character of the current supplied to the motor are altered for changing the rate of speed. The parts can be made very heavy, so that the controller will be strong and durable, and the action is such that the controller can be easily operated by any one. After each movement the blades are held locked by the pins and lugs until the handle is again moved and the plate oscillated.

I claim as my invention' 1. An electrical controller consisting of a supporting frame, terminals held by the frame, a drum, contacts carried by the drum in position to be engaged with the terminals, a handle, a plate connected with the drum and oscillated by the handle,sprin gs made tense by the oscillation of the plate, and lugs adapted to obstruct the forward movement of the plate until a spring has been made tense, substantially as specified.

2. An electrical controller consisting of a supporting frame, terminals held by the frame, a drum, contacts carried by the drum in position to be engaged with the terminals, a handle, a yoke oscillated by the handle, a plate connected with the drum and oscillated by the yoke, springs made tense by the oscillation of the plate, and lugs adapted to obstruct the forward movement of the plate until a spring has been made tense, substantially as specified.

3. An electrical controller consisting of a supporting frame, terminals held by the frame, a drum,c0ntacts carried by the drum in position to be engaged with the terminals, a handle, a yoke oscillated by the handle, a plate connected with the drum, a pin projecting from the plate and engaged by the yoke, lugs projecting from the frame, pins projecting from the plate and adapted to engage the lugs, and springs made tense by the oscillation of the plate, substantially as specified.

4. An electrical controller consisting of a supporting frame, terminals held by the frame, a drum, contacts carried by the drum in position to be engaged with the terminals, a handle, a plate connected with the drum and oscillated by the handle, an arm fixed upon the arbor of the plate, arms loose upon the arbor of the plate, springs connecting the loose arms with the drum, and lugs adapted to obstruct the forward movement of the plate until a spring has been made tense, substantially as specified.

5. An electrical controller consisting of a supporting frame, terminals held by the frame, a drum, contacts carried by the drum in position to be engaged with the terminals, a handle, a yoke oscillated by the handle, a plate connected with the drum, a pin projecting from the plate and engaged by the yoke, lugs projecting from the frame, pins projectin g from the plate and adapted to engage the lugs, an arm fixed upon the arbor of the plate, arms loose upon the arbor of the plate, and springs connecting the loose arms with the drum, substantially as specified.

(S. An electrical controller consisting of a supporting frame, terminals held by the frame, a drum, contacts carried by the drum in position to be engaged with the terminals, a handle, connected segments moved by the handle, a plate connected with the drum and oscillated by the segments, springs made tense by the oscillation of the plate, and lugs adapted to obstruct the forward movement of the plate until a spring has been made tense, substantially as specified.

7. An electrical controller consisting of a supporting frame, terminals held by the frame, a drum, contacts carried by the drum in position to be engaged with the terminals, a handle, a segment attached to the handle, a yoke, a segment attached to the yoke, a connection between the segments, a plate connected with the drum and oscillated by the yoke, springs made tense by the oscillation of the plate, and lugs adapted to obstruct the forward movement of the plate until a spring has been made tense, substantially as specified.

8. An electrical controller consisting of a supporting frame, terminals held by the frame, a drum, contacts carried by the drum in position to be engaged with the terminals, a handle, a segment attached to the handle, a yoke, a segment attached to the yoke, flexible bands connecting the segments, a plate connected with the drum and oscillated by the yoke, springs made tense by the oscilla tion of the plate, andlugs adapted to obstruct the forward movement of the plate until a spring has been made tense, substantially as specified.

9. An electrical controller consisting of a supporting-franc e, aninsulating-block removably supported by the frame, terminals fastened to the block, a drum, contacts carried by the drum in position to be engaged with the terminals, a handle, a plate connected With the drum and oscillated by the handle, springs made tense by the oscillation of the plate, and lugs adapted to obstruct the forward movement of the plate until a spring has been made tense, substantially as specified.

10. An electrical controller consisting of a supporting -frame, terminals held by the frame, a drum, insulating-strips carried upon the periphery of the drum, contacts fastened to the strips in position to be engaged with the terminals, a handle, a plate connected with the drum and oscillated by the handle, springs made tense by the oscillation of the plate, and lugs adapted to obstruct the forward movement of the plate until a spring has been made tense, substantially as specified.

11. An electrical controller consisting of a supporting-frame, an insulating-block removably supported by the frame, terminals fastened to th block, a drum, insulating-strips carried 11 on the periphery of the drum, contacts f tened to the strips in position to be enga ed with the terminals, a handle, aplate connected with the drum and oscillated by the handle, springs made tense by the oscillation of the plate, and lugs adapted to obstruct the forward movement of the plate until a spring has been made tense, substantially as specified.

12. In combination with the oscillatory drum of an electrical controller, a plate loosely held by the drum, springs arranged to retain the plate in a normal position, a handle arranged to oscillate the plate from nor mal position, and pins projecting from the plate in position to engage fixed surfaces after the plate has been oscillated for advancing the plate and drum,substantially as specitied.

CHARLES G. BURROWS.

Witnesses:

HARRY R. WILLIAMS, F. G. HoLooMnn. 

